Machine for capping cans.



No.761,093-. PATENTEDMAY 31, 1904.

a. B. MoDONALD.

MACHINE FOR UAPPING CANS.

APPLICATION FILED no. 17, 1902.

no MODEL. 2 sums-sum 2.

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UNITED STATES Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT OF ICE. l

MACHINE FOR SPECIFICATION forming part of Lett'ersdPatentNO. 761,093, dated May 31, 1964 CAPPING CANS.

Application filed December 17,1902. Serial 110,135,540. (110 model.) a i To all whom it may concern.-

' on is inserted'in the vacuum-chamber and the air is exhausted-from around it, so that the cap or lid is forced securely in 'place.

To illustrate myinvention, I annex hereto two sheets of drawings, in which the same reference characters are used to designate identical parts in all the figures, of which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the upper part with the vacuumchamber and the upper portion thereof in central-vertical section. Fig. 4 isa detail in section on the line A A of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow, and Fig; 5 is a detail view of the gear-pinion and'arm to raise the closure. 1

I The machine orapparatus is mounted upon a standard 10, which is of the size and shape adapted to support the elementshereinafter mentionedwithin easy reach of the'ordinary operator. As shown,-it consists-mainly of a base-piece and a vertical pillar extending vertically upward therefrom, the upper -end of which is bent tothe left, as-shown'in the drawings, and, is provided withv an angular passage 11, (seeFig. 3,) which opens through the aperture 12 into the bell-shiap'edvacuumchamber 13, which is secured by the capscrews 14 against the bearing-face of the topof the standard, a suitablerubber ring or gasket 15 being interposed between the two bearing-faces to make the connections airtight, so that if the air is exhausted through the passage 11 it will be exhausted in the vacuum-chamber 13. Secured upon the lefthand side of the standard 10 some distance beneath the vacuum-chamber is a-bracket 16, which has the vertical bearing sleeve 17 formed thereon, in which slides the verticallyreciprocating rod 18, the upper end of which has the plate or table 19 secured thereon, having its upper surface adapted to contact with the rim of the vacuum-chamber 13 and form an air-tight closure therefor, this being facilitated by the employment of a rubber ring or gasket 20, which is secured to the under surface of the rim or'bottom of the vacuum- I chamber and against which the closure bears i to form an air-tight connection or seal. This plate 19 has formed in-or on the upper surface thereof the depression 21, (shown indotted lines in Fig. 1,) which is adapted to acouratel'y position the can 22 placed thereon, alt though -it will be apparent that catches or other upwardly-projecting lugs might be employed instead-of the depression. When the i can is in position with the cap 23 loosely placed thereon,- the operator places his foot upon the i treadle 24, which is pivoted at 25 to a suitable bearing-lug 26 on the base of the standard and 1 which has pivoted thereto at 27 the link 28,the upper end of whichis secured to the valvearm 29 in the manner to be subsequently described. Mounted in'abearing-ear 30 (see Fig. 1 3) is apintle or shaft 31, which has journaled f or secured thereon the gear-pinion 32, which meshes with a rack-bar 33, mounted to slide 1 upon .the link 28 and to reciprocate freely in the guide-piece 34, secured upon the standard 10. The *gearpinion 32 has rigidly secured to one sidethereof the arm or lever 35, the upper surface of which cooperates with the I lower end of the rod or plunger 18, which is preferably provided with the antifrictionroller 36. It will be apparent that as the treadle'24. isdepressed the table 19 will be ;rai'sed-by the intermediate mechanism just described tothedotted-line positionshown in Fig. '1, in which the canis inclosed withiri the vacuum-chamber, which is rendered a'ir tight by the pressure of the'helically-coiled expanding spring 37, interposed between the collar 38, rigidly securedon the link 28-, and the top of the rack-bar 33. This effect is produced by the fact that the stroke of the treadle 2 1 is greater than the amount necessary to raise the plate 19 high enough to close the vacuum-chamber, and the resulting pressure of the spring 37, which is com pressed after the vacuum-elmmber is closed, serves to hold the plate securelyin place and render the vacuumchamber air-tight.

Leading to a continuously-operating airpump or other source of reduced air-pressure or vacuum is a pipe 39, which is connected by a suitable air-tight union 40 with the short connecting-pipe 41, which has the three-way valve 42, mounted to rotate in a suitable casing 43, which has the oppositely-disposed portions of the pipe 41 screwed into it together with the port 44, formed in the top thereof. The portion of the pipe 41 next to the machine is connected by the elbow-shaped unions 45 and 46 with the passage-way 11, and the valve 42 has secured thereto the arm 29, which is pivotally connected, as at 47, to the upper end of the link 28, which is slotted, as seen'at 48, in order that the position of the pivotal connections 47 may be adjusted as may be necessary to obtain the desired movement of the valve 42 when the treadle 24 is depressed. A plunger 49 is mounted to reciprocate in the way 50, formed in the vertical extension 51 of the I the inner wall of the vacuum-chamber to prevent the plate from moving out of the chamber.

Theoperation of the device will be readily apparent. The parts being in the position shown in .Fig. 1, the treadle is depressed, and

" the, first movement thereof causes the plunger 18 to be raised, carrying the jar or can 22 into the chamber and closing the bottom thereof.

' The movement to the closing-point is not sufficient to move the valve 42 enough to exhaustthe air; but when the chamber is closed the continued movement of thevalve which is permitted by the compression of the spring 37 serves to connect the chamber to the vacuum and the airis exhausted therefrom. The cap 23 has been loosely placed on the can,

and the weight of the plunger 49 and the plate 52 resting on the top of the cap is sufficient to hold the cap in place; but the weight of the plunger and plate in poundsis less than fifteen times the number of square inches in the surface of the cap, so that the cap will.

not be held down so tightly that any air in the jar cannot be withdrawn. \Vhen the treadle is released, the movement of the parts is reversed and the plate and plunger follow the can downward, holding the cap in place until the air isadmitted to the vacuum-chamber, when ofcourse the pressure of the atmosphere serves to hold the cap securely on the can or jar with the customary atmospheric pressure of fifteen pounds 'to the square inch.

While I have shown my invention as embodied in the form which I at present consider best adapted to carry out its purposes, it will be understood that it is capable of modifications and that I do not desire to be limited in the interpretation of the following claims, except as may be necessitated by the state of the prior'art.

T/Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A device of the class described comprising the vacuum-chamber normally open to the air, the movable member to close it and adapted to carry a loosely-capped can or jar into said chamber, a vacuum-pipe leading to said vacuum-cham ber, a valve mechanism through whlch the vacuum-chamber is normally open ,to the atmosphere but which canbe moved to connect the cnamber with the vacuum, and means for first closing the vacuum-chamber by the movable member and then autom'atic ally moving said valve mechanism to exhaust the chamber.

2. A device of the class described comprising the vacuum-chamber'normally open to the 3 mally open to the atmosphere but which can be moved to connect the chamber with the vacuum, and means for first closing the vacuum-chamber by the movable member and then moving said valve mechanism to exhaust the chamber.- p

3. A device of the class described comprising the bell-shaped vacuum-chamber normally open at the bottom, the vertically-movable plate to close it and adapted to carry a looselycapped can or jar into said chamber, avacuumpipe leading to said vacuum-chamber, an interposed three-way valve through which the vacuum-chamber is normally open to the atmosphere but which can be moved to connect the chamber with the vacuum, and means for first closing the vacuum-chamber by the movement of the plate and then automatically movinterposed three-way valve through which the vacuum-chamber is normally open to the atmosphere but which can be moved to connect the chamber with the vacuum, and means for ITO first closing the vacuum-chamber by the movement of the plate and then moving said valve to exhaust it.

5. A device of the class described comprising the vacuum-chamber normally open to the air, the movable member to close it and adapted to carry a loosely-capped can or jar into said chamber, a vacuum-pipe leading to said vacuum-chamber, a valve mechanism through which the vacuum-chamber is normally open to the atmosphere but which can be moved to connect the chamber with the vacuum, and means for first closing the vacuum-chamber by the movable member and then moving said valve mechanism to exhaust the chamber, said means consisting of an arm connected to the valve, an arm cooperating with said member, a treadle-rod, a link connected to both of said arms, and a yielding connection between said link and the arm operating the movable member.

6. A device of the class described comprising the vacuum-chamber normally open to the air, the movable member to close it and adapted to carry a loosely-capped can or jar into said chamber, a vacuum-pipe leading to said vacuum-chamber, a valve mechanism through which the vacuum-chamber 1s normally open to the atmosphere but which can be moved to connect the chamber with the vacuum, and means for first closing the vacuum-chamber by the movable member and then moving said valve mechanism to exhaust the chamber, said means consisting of the arm 29 connected to the valve mechanism, the arm 35 cooperating with the movable member, the treadle 24, the link 28 connected tosaid treadle and the arm 29, the collar 38 on the link, the sliding rack 33, the pinion 32 secured on said arm 35 and meshing with said rack, and the expanding spring 37 interposed between the collar 38 and the rack 33.

7 In a device of the class described, a vacuum-chamber, a can-carrying closure adapted to seal the same, a plate fitting loosely in the chamber in the path of the can, means to exhaust the air from said chamber, and means to open and close the air-exhaust and to close and open the closure.

8. In a device of the class described, a vacuum-chamber, a can-carrying closure adapted to seal the same, a plate fitting loosely in the chamber in the path of the can, valve mechanism to control the air-exhaust, and means to open and close the valve and close and open the closure.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES E. MCDONALD.

Witnesses:

E. MOLITOR, R. K. GUSTAFSON. 

